BUTLER, GENERALS STOP HAMILTON’S WIN STREAK AT 4
HAMILTON, ONTARIO. The Hamilton Bulldogs were back at the FirstOntario Centre on Sunday for their third game in four days, looking to extend their win streak to 5, squaring off the with Oshawa Generals for the 4th time this season.
The game got off to a relatively quiet as both teams were able to keep the majority of chances to the outside of the offensive zones. Just prior to the midway point of the first period, Matteo Drobac and Patrick Leaver exchanged superb glove saves to keep the game scoreless, turning the Sunday matinee into an early goalie duel. With 6:30 remaining in the opening frame and Oshawa putting pressure on the Hamilton zone, Drobac got caught behind the net playing the puck and had to rush back out front and was just able to get enough of the puck with his leg, denying Brett Harrison the opportunity to open the scoring. Both goaltenders guarded their creases to perfection in period 1, and the shots after the buzzer were 10-7 in favor of Hamilton.
Hamilton’s Gavin White opened the games scoring just over three minutes into the middle frame with his 5th of the season, skating in on the right side and ripping a shot over the glove of Leaver for the 1-0 lead from Patrick Thomas & Artem Grushnikov. Hamilton’s lead didn’t last long however, with the Generals on the power-play and after Drobac had made a pair of big saves to keep the puck out, Oshawa’s Stuart Rolofs got one by the blocker for his 7th goal of the season to tie the game at one at 6:06. A short thirty-five seconds later the Generals got a 3-on-1 opportunity and Brett Harrison made no mistake, sending a one-timer past Drobac to take a 2-1 lead at 6:41 for his 12th of the season. Patrick Leaver was solid through the late stages of the period after his team took two minor penalties, making impressive saves denying Sherk, White and Anderson in tight and despite leading in shots 24-15 after 40 minutes the Bulldogs trailed the Generals 2-1.
Hamilton’s powerplay went to work quickly in the 3rd period, capitalizing on a too many men as Avery Hayes found the puck to the right of Leaver’s goal after Lawson Sherk knocked it through a pile-up, and fired it over his far shoulder from a tough angle to tie the game 2-2 on his 20th goal of the season at 5:17. Back on the powerplay for the Generals at 9:43, Dylan Roobroeck was able to elude a group of Bulldogs defenders and send the puck over to a wide-open Luke Torrance who deposited it into the cage for his 5th of the season, regaining the lead for his team. With 6:50 left in the final frame and shortly after Patrick Leaver made a big glove save to keep his team in front, the Generals gained the Bulldogs zone and Luca Marelli wristed one to the net from the point which fluttered past the glove of Drobac to give Oshawa a 4-2 lead on Marrelli’s 3rd of the year. With the Bulldogs desperate to get back in the game and putting on some pressure in the offensive zone, Logan Morrison hit Avery Hayes out front with a perfect pass but Patrick Leaver sprawled across the crease and kept his five-hole sealed and secure the puck. With just 14-seconds left in the game Logan Morrison found the top left corner as he broke down the right circle with a back bar bullet and pulled Hamilton to within one from Avery Hayes & Gavin White but it wouldn’t be enough as the Generals skated away with a 4-3 victory, ending the Bulldogs 4-game winning streak.
The Bulldogs are back at it Wednesday morning as they host their second school day game of the season, this time against the Mississauga Steelheads. The puck drops at 10:30am at the FirstOntario Centre.
For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs 2022-23 Holiday Flex Packages packages call 905-529-8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com
